Philippines bans rice farm sales
Updated
A two-year national ban on the sale of rice farms has been imposed in the Philippines.
The president, Gloria Arroyo, says it's part of moves to help increase domestic production of the grain, amid rising international prices.
The ban is expected to affect corporate farms looking for more land to plant higher-value crops, as well as real estate developers.
The Philippines has around four million hectares devoted to rice production, but produces only about 92 per cent of total domestic demand.
